Three young men with specialist care requirements are set to move into a purpose built bungalow at Gorrick Square in Wokingham.
This new independent living scheme is a great example of Wokingham Borough Council and its housing companies developing homes in the borough to meet specific needs. The property has been designed with ease of use and quality of life for residents as the main focus. It is fully wheelchair accessible and features specialist bathroom equipment.
Specialist home
This project has been in the pipeline since the council’s adult social care team identified a need to provide this specialist home. Building work started in January 2020, and it is now ready for the young men to move in.
Wokingham Housing Limited, the developer behind the project, has been hard at work ensuring the property is fit for purpose. It is now fully fitted out and new furniture has arrived. The bungalow will be handed over to Loddon Homes, who will become the landlords of the property, while support and care will be provided by Optalis.
“I am pleased to see this quality accommodation now complete. It provides much needed bespoke accommodation for young adults with complex needs – enabling them to live independently in a supported environment, which is great news. I hope they will be very happy in their new home,” said Cllr John Kaiser, executive member for finance and housing.
“Loddon Homes is delighted to take ownership of this long-awaited scheme. The completion of Gorrick Square is a milestone moment for the residents who will live here as well as allowing for family visits. This partnership approach to housing means that this purpose built bungalow completely reflects the needs of the residents” said UllaKarin Clark, chair of Loddon Homes.
Helen Woodland, director of provider services at Optalis Social Care, who will be providing support to the young men through their Independent Living Services, said: "We are delighted to be able to bring our expertise and skilled and caring staff to support these gentlemen. As always we are pleased to see the expansion of our partnership with Wokingham Borough Council as a trusted provider and we are looking forward to delivering highly valued services to more local people."
Transforming lives
Parents of one of the young men moving in said: "As parents of our young son who will be moving into this purpose-built accommodation, we are delighted that this long-awaited project is nearing completion. We are looking forward to him having the happy independent supported quality of life that he deserves."
“On behalf of our son, we want to express our gratitude and appreciation of the collaborative effort put in by all the parties involved. This is going to transform his life,” added another parent of one of the young men.
The total development cost £815,000 with some £580,000 invested by Wokingham Borough Council with the rest coming from Homes England and central government’s Disabled Facilities grants.
